By Grant Johnson, Staff Reporter
Andrew Rural Academy is building momentum in its first year and is already looking ahead as registration opens for its second school year.
School principal Terrance Prusak says the year so far has been an exciting journey for everyone involved, with staff and leadership building the school program from the ground up.
“It’s been really exciting,” Prusak said. “The teachers, support staff, and school board all started from scratch and we’ve come a long way already.”
Prusak says re-registration from current students has been going very well, and the school is now welcoming new families interested in joining the academy for the upcoming school year.
One of the standout moments so far was the school’s Christmas concert, which drew a large crowd from across the community.
“Half of Lamont County must have been there,” Prusak joked.
“The kids performed and everyone enjoyed a free turkey dinner. It was a great community event.”
Another recent highlight saw students take part in a hands-on science project when the school used an incubator to hatch 21 chicks. Students and staff even held a contest to guess the exact day the chicks would hatch.
As a public charter school with a STEM-based focus, Prusak says staff have spent the year learning how to best incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math concepts into daily lessons.
“There’s definitely been a learning curve,” he explained. “But we’re continuing to build our knowledge and are excited about improving how we deliver the STEM program to students.”
Looking ahead, students are preparing for another practical learning opportunity. The school is beginning seedlings for its garden, with planter boxes that were built by the shop class.
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